MELVIN R. LAIRD - TYPED LETTER SIGNED 05/16/1978 - HFSID 83709

MELVIN R. LAIRD
Written on letterhead of the Reader's Digest Association, responding to a fan about his writing
Typed Letter signed: "Mel Laird", ¼p, 7¼x10. Washington, D.C., 1978 May 16. On letterhead of the Reader's Digest Association, Inc. to Ms. Toni Currin, Dillon, South Carolina. In full: "Thank you very much for your letter of May 8th. I appreciate your taking the time to write me about whether or not I plan to write a book. At the present time I do not plan to write a book but from time to time I do write articles for the Reader's Digest. Again, thanks for writing." Laird had previously written or contributed to a number of works: A House Divided: America's Strategy Gap (1962), The Conservative Papers (1964; wrote the introduction and edited), The Republican Papers (1968; edited), Health Insurance: What Should Be the Federal Role? (1968 pamphlet) and The Nixon Doctrine (1972). Melvin Robert Laird, Jr. (1922-2016) was U.S. Secretary of Defense under President Richard M. Nixon from 1969-1973, the first Congressman appointed to the post. Committed to only a four-year tenure, Laird publicly supported Nixon's course in Vietnam but opposed the Cambodian invasion and the bombing and land mine operations of the spring of 1972. On January 27, 1973, two days before he left office, the Vietnam settlement was signed in Paris. Laird, who had previously served as a Republican in the Wisconsin state senate (1946-1948) and as a U.S. Representative from Wisconsin (1953-1969), then became a domestic advisor to Nixon. In 1974, the year he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, Laird resigned to become senior counselor on national and international affairs for "Reader's Digest". As he mentions in this letter, Laird occasionally writes articles on political affairs for the magazine. Lightly creased with folds, lower horizontal fold touches the lower flourish of the "M". Fine condition.